Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
